Detection system for neutron β decay correlations in the UCNB and Nab experiments

Journal Article · Sun Dec 18 23:00:00 EST 2016 · Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2016.12.030· OSTI ID:1344260

Broussard, L. J. ^[1]; Zeck, B. A. ^[1]; Adamek, E. R. ^[2]; Baeßler, S. ^[3]; Birge, N. ^[4]; Blatnik, M. ^[1]; Bowman, J. D. ^[5]; Brandt, A. E. ^[1]; Brown, M. ^[6]; Burkhart, J. ^[1]; Callahan, N. B. ^[2]; Clayton, S. M. ^[1]; Crawford, C. ^[6]; Cude-Woods, C. ^[7]; Currie, S. ^[1]; Dees, E. B. ^[7]; Ding, X. ^[8]; Fomin, N. ^[4]; Frlez, E. ^[3]; Fry, J. ^[3] ; Gray, F. E. ^[9]; Hasan, S. ^[6]; Hickerson, K. P. ^[10]; Hoagland, J. ^[7]; Holley, A. T. ^[11]; Ito, T. M. ^[1]; Klein, A. ^[1]; Li, H. ^[3]; Liu, C. -Y. ^[2]; Makela, M. F. ^[1]; McGaughey, P. L. ^[1]; Mirabal-Martinez, J. ^[1]; Morris, C. L. ^[1]; Ortiz, J. D. ^[1]; Pattie, R. W. ^[1]; Penttilä, S. I. ^[5]; Plaster, B. ^[6]; Počanić, D. ^[3]; Ramsey, J. C. ^[1]; Salas-Bacci, A. ^[3]; Salvat, D. J. ^[1]; Saunders, A. ^[1]; Seestrom, S. J. ^[1]; Sjue, S. K. L. ^[1]; Sprow, A. P. ^[6]; Tang, Z. ^[1]; Vogelaar, R. B. ^[8]; Vorndick, B. ^[7]; Wang, Z. ^[1]; Wei, W. ^[1]; Wexler, J. ^[7]; Wilburn, W. S. ^[1]; Womack, T. L. ^[1]; Young, A. R. ^[7]

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1. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
2. Indiana Univ., Bloomington, IN (United States)
3. Univ. of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA (United States)
4. Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)
5. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
6. Univ. of Kentucky, Lexington, KY (United States)
7. North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States)
8. Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States)
9. Regis Univ., Denver, CO (United States)
10. California Inst. of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States)
11. Tennessee Technological Univ., Cookeville, TN (United States)

Here, we describe a detection system designed to precisely measure multiple correlations in neutron β decay. Furthermore, the system is based on thick, large area, highly segmented silicon detectors developed in collaboration with Micron Semiconductor, Ltd. The prototype system meets specifications of energy thresholds below 10 keV, energy resolution of ~3 keV FWHM, and rise time of ~50 ns with 19 of the 127 detector pixels instrumented. We have demonstrated the coincident detection of β particles and recoil protons from neutron β decay, using ultracold neutrons at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center, . The fully instrumented detection system will be implemented in the UCNB and Nab experiments, to determine the neutron β decay parameters B, a, and b.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Nuclear Physics (NP) (SC-26)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725; AC52-06NA25396; FG02-03ER41258; FG02-97ER41042; SC0008107; SC0014622
• OSTI ID: 1344260
• Journal Information: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Journal Name: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment Journal Issue: C Vol. 849; ISSN 0168-9002
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
neutron beta decay
silicon detector
ultracold neutrons